North Railroad Avenue Plume

Overview

The North Railroad Avenue Plume site sits in Española, New Mexico, where a former laundromat and dry cleaning operation left behind a contaminated groundwater plume. The site has been on the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal government's roster of priority Superfund cleanup sites, since January 1999. Cleanup is still in progress, and the site has not been removed from the NPL.

The main contaminants are tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), both industrial solvents. PCE is found in soil, groundwater, and as a free-phase liquid, meaning it exists as a separate layer rather than just dissolved in water. TCE is present in groundwater across the site. The plume reaches the sole drinking water aquifer used by the City of Española (population 10,224) and Santa Clara Pueblo (population 2,400), as well as private wells in the area.

EPA selected an enhanced in-situ bioremediation remedy in September 2001. This approach treats contamination underground by stimulating naturally occurring bacteria to break down the chemicals. Construction finished in June 2008, and a long-term response action ran from 2009 to 2019. The State of New Mexico has operated and maintained the remedy since 2019. Current work includes additional treatment injections, testing of improved amendment materials, installation of new monitoring wells in the deep zone, and evaluation of monitored natural attenuation for deeper aquifer zones. The shallow plume downgradient of the source area has been successfully cleaned up. Indoor air sampling from January 2025 found no site-related contaminants above EPA health-based screening levels. New well permitting over the contaminated area remains restricted by the New Mexico Office of State Engineer.

The Fourth Five-Year Review, completed in August 2025, found the remedy is protective in the short term because there is no known exposure to contaminated groundwater. The sources contain a conflict worth noting: the health and environment section states that physical construction is complete, cleanup goals have been achieved, and there are no unacceptable risks remaining, while the cleanup section states that residual contamination remains in the source area and the deep zone remedy was not fully effective. Additionally, 0.56 acres of site soil has been cleared for commercial and recreational uses such as restaurants, parks, and retail space.

Community members can get involved by attending upcoming meetings. A meeting at Santa Clara Pueblo is set for December 3, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the CHR Building, 615 Kee Street. In Española, an open house runs from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on December 4, 2025, followed by a community meeting from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Beatrice Martinez-Quintana Senior Center, 735 Vietnam Veterans Road. The New Mexico Department of Health will participate in both events. Site documents are available at the Española Public Library, the Santa Clara Pueblo Community Library, and the New Mexico Environment Department's Ground Water Quality Bureau in Santa Fe.